Pepin

vegetarian paella

paella valenciana

cured salmon with capers

eggplant, goat cheese salad

beef and tomato empanadas

crab and arroz negro croquetas

mushrooms with escargot

sherry mushrooms

sangria

On our last night in Scottsdale we went to Pepin Spanish restaurant for some tapas and paella.  

The restaurant was a bit on the campy side with a flamenco dancer but otherwise the food was quite good.  I was especially impressed by their vegetarian paella, which I'm not sure that I've ever encountered before.  Meat and/or seafood always seem to pretty integral to paella.  The paella was a bit buttery for my taste.  It was sort of swimming in broth which gave it an almost stew-like quality.  I like mine a little crisped at the edges and I like to taste more saffron than butter. 

Not pictured but also delicious were the sweetbreads in a wine sauce.  On the sweet side but the sweetbreads were very tender.  

Pepin

7363 E Scottsdale Mall

Scottsdale, AZ 85251-4414

480.990.9026

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes With Honey Butter + other fuel foods

okay, my frittata failed.  it at least tasted good

The night before going to Arizona I couldn't sleep.  I almost can never sleep before travel days.  Even in elementary school I never slept the night before a field trip.  With the extra hours I decided to make a large breakfast for my family before our morning flight.  

Menu:

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes With Honey Butter

Oatmeal With Warmed Soymilk, Candied Figs, Walnuts, And Cinnamon Apples

Vegetable Goat Cheese Frittata

Blueberry Cornmeal Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup sugar (separated)

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt (kosher or coarse)

1 1/2 cup low fat buttermilk

1/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons butter

1 large egg (yolk separated from the white)

2 cups fresh blueberries

1. soak the cormeal in the buttermilk overnight.  This is an optional step. Soaking overnight smoothes out the grittiness of the cornmeal but if you like the gritty texture, feel free to skip this step

2. melt the butter and cool to room temperature

3. sift together the flour, baking soda, 2 tablespoons of sugar, baking powder, and salt

4. in a separate bowl combine the butter, the milk, the cormeal/buttermilk mixture and the egg yolk

5. add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined

6. beat the egg white until it holds stiff peaks and then fold very gently into the batter (this may seem like an unnecessary step but it makes for a fluffier lighter pancake.  but if you're in a rush feel free to just combine the whole egg with the wet ingredients rather than adding them separately)

7. heat up a griddle at medium-low heat and brush with melted butter

8. meanwhile toss the blueberries with the remaining sugar

9. ladle a large spoonful (I like my pancakes small so I put about 3 tablespoons of batter per pancake)

10. arrange the desired number of blueberries on top of the pancake

11. when large porous holes start to bubble up on the wet side of the pancake, flip and cook for about one minute more

12. serve with maple syrup and honey butter

Honey Butter

1/2 stick of butter

2 tablespoons of honey

Simply whip room temperature butter with honey until the butter is fluffy